If you've ever had to spell out words like W-A-L-K or T-R-E-A-T around a dog, you know that some dogs listen in to humans' chitchat and can pick out certain key words. Well, it turns out that some genius dogs can learn a brand new word, like the name of an unfamiliar toy, by just overhearing brief interactions between two people.
President Donald Trump's aides began to make their case on Thursday for a $400 million White House ballroom before a commission that oversees federal building construction and said they are considering adding a second story to part of the West Wing as well.
The U.S. Senate has advanced a war powers resolution limiting President Donald Trump's ability to conduct further strikes in Venezuela. Five Republicans voted with Democrats to advance the resolution, with Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., crossing the aisle. The legislation would require Trump to gain approval from Congress before conducting any strikes on Venezuela.
Former Del. Mike Jones captures Senate District 15, while Charlie Schmidt wins Jones' vacated House seat in District 77. read more
The situation was likely to worsen as Iran's Central Bank drastically reduced the subsidized exchange rates for dollars it offers to importers and producers. read more
Then there's this ...
Russia Harshly Condemns US Seizure of Oil Tanker, Warns of a Spike in Tensions
www.military.com
... Russia on Thursday strongly condemned the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker, heralding a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington that could spread to other areas and affect President Donald Trump's efforts to persuade Russia to end its nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
The seizure Wednesday of the Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic "can only lead to a further escalation of military and political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region, as well as a visible lowering of the threshold for the use of force' against peaceful shipping," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. ...
&npsb
@#14 ... a filet-o-fish in each tiny fist ...
FTFY
a filet-o-fish with more tartar sauce in each tiny fist.
Trump, one of McDonald's 'all time most loyal customers,' offers Filet-O-Fish suggestion
www.foxbusiness.com
... President Donald Trump gave McDonald's leadership a not-so-subtle hint at how the massive chain could improve the iconic Filet-O-Fish.
"I like the fish. I like it. You could do a little bit more tartar sauce, so please," Trump said while delivering remarks at the McDonald's Impact Summit 2025 in Washington, D.C. He added that he hates having to ask for more sauce. ...
@!2, 13
You pose most excellent questions.
Here's one thing I saw this afternoon, not an answer, but reporting of what is happening ...
Trump's Venezuela oil grab pushes Chinese refiners to Canada
financialpost.com
... China's refiners, all but cut off from Venezuelan crude in the past week as the U.S. positions itself for access to the world's largest oil reserves, are eying a pricier alternative source -- Canada.
Chinese inquiries around Canadian supply have increased since the snatching of President Nicolas Maduro at the weekend, traders said, with processors considering the country's grades seen as among the best replacements for Venezuela's Merey crude. ...
Trump's "I'll Control the Money" Venezuela Oil Claim
www.cato.org
... The Trump administration says that it will sell Venezuelan oil at market prices and oversee the allocation of the proceeds.
Trump framed it as a new presidential revenue stream:
This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!
Having already demonstrated a disregard for Congress's power of the purse, the president's "controlled by me" framing raised eyebrows. The executive branch can administer programs and executive laws, but it generally cannot create a new source of funding and then decide how to spend it. ...
@#8 ... Piracy ...
Looks that way.
US could run Venezuela for years, Trump says
www.politico.com
... The U.S. government may head up Venezuela for years, President Donald Trump told The New York Times in an Oval Office interview Wednesday, as the White House works to sell its plans for the future of the country after a successful operation to capture Nicols Maduro in Caracas over the weekend. ...
In the interview, Trump said "only time will tell" how long the administration would oversee Venezuela. But when asked for a time frame -- three months, six months, a year or longer -- Trump replied "I would say much longer." ...
... It's that U.S. manufacturing is shrinking under a lunatic who never tires of boasting that he alone can make U.S. manufacturing great again ...
Things, and uncertainty, such as the following do not help US manufacturing.
Tariffs and low stocks propel aluminium costs to records for US consumers
www.reuters.com
... Aluminium consumers in the United States are paying record high prices, significantly above the level import levies and transport costs would warrant, as tight supplies globally aggravate the impact of tariffs and low U.S. inventories.
Needed by industries such as automotive, aerospace, packaging and construction, aluminium prices have knock-on effects for the wider economy as they raise manufacturing costs, squeeze margins and ultimately drive inflation.
President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on U.S. aluminium imports to 50% in June to encourage investment in local production.
Since then aluminium costs for U.S. consumers have risen by 40% to above $5,200 a metric ton. ...
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